First electric fire engine to be trialled in London
The engine will be used by officers in Hammersmith
Last updated 30th Jun 2022
An electrified fire engine is expected to be deployed for the first time in the UK.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) announced it will trial an electric-hybrid appliance at Hammersmith Fire Station in west London later this year.
The move comes with the hope it will grow the market for zero-emission emergency vehicles.
How will the electric fire engine run?
The electric-hybrid fire engine is expected to carry out most of its operations on electric power alone, but has a small petrol engine that can extend the life of its battery.
Developing zero-emission appliances is challenging due to demanding performance requirements.
The heavy vehicles must attend incidents as quickly as possible, carry a variety of equipment and be able to pump water for long periods.
Conventional fire engines are powered by diesel.
London Fire Brigade announces electric fire engine
LFB said the electrified vehicle, developed by manufacturer Emergency One, has "minimal differences" to its 143 current fire engines.
It has a range of more than 200 miles and can pump water continuously for four hours.
London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said: "Our first priority is always to ensure the brigade provides a first-class prevention, protection and emergency response service for London.
"But for some time we have been looking towards a more sustainable future and working to identify the challenges and solutions to ensure that we as a fire service can move to a zero-emission fleet."
‘Exciting step for the UK fire service’
Mr Roe described the trial of the new engine as an "exciting step for us and the whole of the UK fire service".
He went on: "It is hoped that in leading the way on developing an electric-hybrid fire engine, the project will help drive and grow the market for zero-emission specialist vehicles in the UK's emergency services, and particularly in the fire service."
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "Our emergency services are a key part of our clean air goals, and this high-performance green fire engine will help to ensure Londoners breathe cleaner air whilst working to tackle blazes across the city."